Guests at the Holiday Inn Express hotel on Railway Lane near Hagerstown were evacuated for a short time Friday night when a fire started in a heating, ventilation and air conditioning unit, the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office said.

The fire, which was reported at 7:23 p.m., caused $10,000 in damage to the structure and $30,000 in damages to the contents, according to a fire marshal's office news release.

Authorities said the fire started in an HVAC ceiling unit on the first floor. The fire alarm activated, but the sprinkler system did not, the release said.

The fire marshal's office said it took 44 firefighters from Halfway, Williamsport and Funkstown about 10 minutes to bring the fire under control.

The guests were allowed to return to the hotel after repairs were made to the fire alarm and sprinkler system, according to the release.